


Daddy

by CloakedSparrow



Series: Collected Bat-Family Stories [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman: Gotham Knights (Comics), DCU (Comics), Detective Comics (Comics)
Genre: Bat Family, Batdad, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Father Figures, Gen, Happy Ending, No Romance, No Sex, No Smut, One Shot, Past Character Death, TFFW, father-son bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 13:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19888483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloakedSparrow/pseuds/CloakedSparrow
Summary: The first time Dick called Bruce ‘Daddy’ occurred when the boy was mostly asleep and his new father was putting him to bed. He was never aware that he’d said it.The second time Dick called Bruce ‘Daddy’ occurred when the boy was running a fever and his new father was caring for him. He was too ill to recall anything he’d said after he recovered.The third time Dick called Bruce ‘Daddy’ is the first instance he was aware of.





	Daddy

**Author's Note:**

> This references the story 'Tooth Fairy' in this series, but can still be read alone.

The first time Dick called Bruce ‘Daddy’ occurred when the boy was mostly asleep and his new father was putting him to bed. He was never aware that he’d said it. 

The second time Dick called Bruce ‘Daddy’ occurred when the boy was running a fever and his new father was caring for him. He was too ill to recall anything he’d said after he recovered. 

The third time Dick called Bruce ‘Daddy’ is the first instance he was aware of. 

Bruce had taken him to the local amusement park that was having a grand re-opening. There were rides, games, kiosks, food, and a petting zoo. Bruce seemed content to let Dick drag him all over the place to see everything. They played games, rode the rides, checked out the animals, ate plenty of snacks, and even bought a couple t-shirts as souvenirs. Dick was having a good time. In fact, he was feeling the most like himself that he’d felt since his parents died. 

While Dick was in the bounce house, Bruce waited outside with the other parents. He noticed Lucius Fox there, who was waiting for his kids. They struck up a conversation while they waited. When Dick came out, Bruce told him he could go ahead to check out the tree-house or whichever other play area he wanted that was also not designed for adults. He would stay and talk to Mr Fox. He just told Dick to make sure he could see him from wherever he went. 

Tiffany, Luke, and Tam Fox wanted to go on the pony rides, so Dick joined them. It wasn’t as interesting as riding the animals in the circus, but it was fun. When that was done, he checked out the tree-house. Then the ball-pit, where he lost the Fox children, which was fine. Then he played in one of the other bounce houses. Then he climbed the mini rock wall. 

He kept checking to see that Bruce was still there occasionally. He always was. 

Until Dick checked after exiting the tube maze. Bruce wasn’t there. Mr Fox wasn’t there. Dick walked over to where he’d last seen them. He looked around, not terribly concerned at first. But then he couldn’t find Bruce anywhere.

He started growing more and more concerned as he looked around and couldn’t find Bruce. 

Bruce had never left him alone since he came to live to him. He was either with him or Alfred was. Dick started to worry that something had happened to him. He rushed through the crowds, looking for Bruce and not seeing him. He started searching more frantically. He started crying. 

A woman stopped him then. “Hey. Are you okay? What’s the matter?”

Dick spared her a brief glance but then kept searching the area around him with his gaze, hoping to see Bruce. And still not seeing him. He sniffled and wiped the tears off his cheeks. “I c-can’t find my daddy.”

He hadn’t meant to say it. He was scared. He wasn’t paying attention. 

He didn’t want his parents to feel replaced. He _wasn’t_ replacing them. He still loved them. He still missed them. He just…he loved Bruce. He didn’t know if that was okay. 

Bruce never called Alfred ‘Dad’. Dick didn’t know if that was because he considered it disrespectful to his parents to do so. He didn’t know if he was supposed to feel his parents deaths the way Bruce felt his. If the pain was supposed to stay with him that way. He didn’t know if it was cruel to move on so soon.

He started crying harder. 

He wanted Bruce. He didn’t think his parents would mind. They’d always wanted him to be happy and cared for. And he was, with Bruce. 

Except for now when he couldn’t find him. He was worried that he might have lost him too. He didn’t want to lose Bruce, too. Alfred was wonderful, but he wasn’t Bruce. Dick couldn’t take losing another dad so soon. He didn’t want to lose his new dad _ever_.

He was crying too hard to hear what the woman was saying to him at that point. He vaguely noticed her waving over one of the park’s employees. The man had a radio on him. Dick tried to pull himself together. The man could use the radio to get other people looking for Bruce. They could help him. 

“Okay, sweetie. Its going to be okay.” The woman knelt down in front of Dick. “Can you tell me your daddy’s name?” She pointed to one of the many speakers that filled the park with music, interrupted by the occasional announcement. “We can have them call him over the big speakers so he knows where to find you.”

“Bruce.” Dick hiccuped. He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. Alfred wouldn’t approve, but he could only focus on so much at once while he was so worried. “Bruce Wayne.”

“Bruce Wayne?” The woman looked surprised for a second, clearly recognizing the name. Then she shook it off and turned to employee. Before she could say anything else, Dick heard a familiar voice calling his name. 

“Dick! _Dick_!” Bruce was looking around, appearing more unnerved than Dick had ever seen him. Finally, he spotted the boy and started running over. “Dick!” 

Dick ran as fast as he could. Bruce knelt as soon as they got close and Dick immediately had his arms around his father’s neck. Bruce likewise wrapped his arms around the boy and he could feel all the strength and tension in those arms. He could hear and feel Bruce’s heart pounding through his chest. He could smell his aftershave as he buried his face into his father’s neck. 

Dick had never felt so relieved in his short life. 

“What happened? Are you alright?” Bruce pulled him away just enough to look him over and asses whether he was injured or not. He pulled him back against his chest once he was sure he wasn’t hurt, holding him tightly. Then he stood, picking Dick up as he did. 

Not that he had much choice. Dick was practically wrapped around him by that point and he had no intentions of letting go anytime soon. 

Bruce thanked the woman and the employee. “I don’t know what happened. I turned to say goodbye to some friends while he was playing and when I looked back, he was just _gone_. I couldn’t find him anywhere.”

“You’re a new father, right?” The woman asked. Bruce nodded, and the woman sounded comforting as she spoke again. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. We’ve all had that happen; you turn your back on them for a second and they’re off. It can be pretty scary…for both of you.”

Bruce held onto to Dick a little tighter. “You’re telling me, I…” He released an odd laugh. “I didn’t realize I could feel that afraid that quickly.”

The woman laughed as well. “Oh, yes. It happened with my oldest at the mall. I didn’t realize I could shout so loud until that moment. I’m amazed I wasn’t banned from the store for life. Or at least until my kids were old enough not to wander.”

After sharing a brief laugh (during which Dick felt a lot of the tension leave his father’s body) Bruce thanked the woman again and she left to catch up to her husband and children. Bruce simply held onto Dick for a moment longer, then he moved them to sit on a nearby bench. Dick’s tears had mostly dried and he wasn’t feeling sad or scared anymore. His father was there. Everything was going to be okay.

“Are you alright?” Bruce ran his hand though Dick’s hair and looked at him in concern. He took out his handkerchief and gently wiped the boy’s face.

Dick scooted off Bruce to sit beside him, but didn’t allow much room between them. He nodded. “Yeah. I was just scared… I thought I lost you.”

Bruce nodded as well and ran a hand through Dick’s hair again. He looked relieved. “I was scared too.” He spoke seriously but kindly. “In the future, if something like this happens, either wait for me wherever I saw you last or have someone call me. I’ll find you.”

Dick nodded again. “Okay.” The words helped. So did the hands that were now gently rubbing his upper arms. 

Dick still felt a little bad about it, but it was nice, having a dad again.

He decided not to mention that to Bruce. Or his slip with the woman earlier. Bruce had made it a point that he wasn’t going to replace Dick’s father. He’d talked about losing his own enough already that Dick knew it still hurt him. He wasn’t sure what Bruce would think of him calling him his daddy already. He didn’t think he’d be mad, but he wasn’t sure how he’d feel about it. 

Bruce continued to rub Dick’s arms and looked at him solemnly. “You’re never going to lose me, Dick. No matter where you go or what’s going on, I’ll always come for you when you need me. I’ll always come back to you when I have to go away for a while. I told you I was going to take care of you, and I always will.” He smiled slightly. “You’re stuck with me now, Chum.”

Dick smiled at the reassurance. He felt better. Both about his worries over losing Bruce and the other fears he’d experienced. 

It was okay if he felt like Bruce was his dad. He was, now. So was his other dad. He could have both. He could love both. He already did. 

It was okay if he didn’t call Bruce ‘daddy’. It didn’t change how he felt. It didn’t change the fact that this loving, caring, wonderful person had found him when he needed someone. It didn’t change the promise Bruce made to always be there when he needed him. It didn’t change the fact that Dick believed in that promise. 

It didn’t change the promise he was about to make in return.

“You’re stuck with me, too.” He held onto one of Bruce’s hands. “Always.”

Bruce smiled. “Good.” He ran his other hand though Dick’s hair once more, still smiling at the boy. He just looked at him for a long moment. 

“Now, do you still want to go on some more rides?” He looked at the boy pointedly. “Ones we can go on together. You aren’t leaving my sight again for the rest of the day.” He grinned. “We could grab some lemonade and funnel cake and decide from there?”

That sounded perfect to Dick. 

He didn’t let go of Bruce’s hand on the way to the funnel cake booth. Bruce didn’t let go either, and as stated, he didn’t let Dick out of his sight for the rest of the day. Dick didn’t mind. He wanted Bruce with him anyway. He had fun with him. He felt safe and happy with him.

He had a great day with his new dad.


End file.
